Red Scarf
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:41 pm
As my Trout season comes to an end on the chalk streams of Southern England, I am looking through the seasons fishing dairy and realised that I had fished the River Avon a few times this year and very enjoyable it had been as well.
As I reflected on this seasons exploits, my mind drifted back to Mayfly time three years ago and how I had an unexpected visit to the Avon in Wiltshire
Previously that month, my fishing friend had a couple of business colleagues visiting from the US who were very keen fly fisherman. He had asked me if I would like to make up a fourth rod on a very exclusive beat of the Test and help him host their visit. Of course I said yes. Unfortunately when we arrived at our exclusive beat there were 2 other rods on it. In order not to ruin our guests day we sent them off onto the lower beat whilst we sat in the sun phoning the agent trying to sort it all out. The net effect was that we only fished for a few hours but our guests had a fine day and we all had a good dinner. The agent promised us something special just for the two of us to make up for the double booking.
So it was, three weeks later that we found ourselves on a very beautiful and private estate in Wiltshire with miles of water all to ourselves.
As is our way we like to walk some of the water first, observe what's going on, chat, fish together for a bit and then wander off on our own to meet up later.
I soon found myself on lovely warm Mayday, pausing below a fairy tale stone bridge and looking at the shallow water on the stones darken as the bottom slid away into a deep pool and fast moving run on the opposite bank.
Suddenly I saw something move in the water.Sometimes if fish are feeding on nymphs you might see the flash of a flank on the edge of the fast moving water but its silver, white or bronze. This was red in colour. I laughed, never heard of Arctic Char in the Avon. There it was again, waving in the stream. Curious I walked up onto the bridge to see if I could get a better few. As I looked down into the depths of the pool a sudden coldness descended upon me and a feeling of complete dread. I felt a shortness of breath and a suffocating sensation. I immediately pulled back from the top of the bridge and walking briskly away upstream, dropping my net and some fly boxes in my haste.
I said nothing to my companion when we met for lunch by the house half an hour later.
The afternoon was spent enjoying great sport on the upper beats and many a Trout rose to my Mayfly.
It was only later that evening when safely home again that I began to investigate the history of the estate and discovered that 140 years earlier, two young lovers, a 16 year old chamber maid and a 18 year old groom from the estate had tied their hands together with a red scarf and walked into the river together and drowned themselves below the bridge.
As I reflected on this seasons exploits, my mind drifted back to Mayfly time three years ago and how I had an unexpected visit to the Avon in Wiltshire
Previously that month, my fishing friend had a couple of business colleagues visiting from the US who were very keen fly fisherman. He had asked me if I would like to make up a fourth rod on a very exclusive beat of the Test and help him host their visit. Of course I said yes. Unfortunately when we arrived at our exclusive beat there were 2 other rods on it. In order not to ruin our guests day we sent them off onto the lower beat whilst we sat in the sun phoning the agent trying to sort it all out. The net effect was that we only fished for a few hours but our guests had a fine day and we all had a good dinner. The agent promised us something special just for the two of us to make up for the double booking.
So it was, three weeks later that we found ourselves on a very beautiful and private estate in Wiltshire with miles of water all to ourselves.
As is our way we like to walk some of the water first, observe what's going on, chat, fish together for a bit and then wander off on our own to meet up later.
I soon found myself on lovely warm Mayday, pausing below a fairy tale stone bridge and looking at the shallow water on the stones darken as the bottom slid away into a deep pool and fast moving run on the opposite bank.
Suddenly I saw something move in the water.Sometimes if fish are feeding on nymphs you might see the flash of a flank on the edge of the fast moving water but its silver, white or bronze. This was red in colour. I laughed, never heard of Arctic Char in the Avon. There it was again, waving in the stream. Curious I walked up onto the bridge to see if I could get a better few. As I looked down into the depths of the pool a sudden coldness descended upon me and a feeling of complete dread. I felt a shortness of breath and a suffocating sensation. I immediately pulled back from the top of the bridge and walking briskly away upstream, dropping my net and some fly boxes in my haste.
I said nothing to my companion when we met for lunch by the house half an hour later.
The afternoon was spent enjoying great sport on the upper beats and many a Trout rose to my Mayfly.
It was only later that evening when safely home again that I began to investigate the history of the estate and discovered that 140 years earlier, two young lovers, a 16 year old chamber maid and a 18 year old groom from the estate had tied their hands together with a red scarf and walked into the river together and drowned themselves below the bridge.
That just had the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge Badger.